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The successor to the Audi A6 sedan and wagon will keep its name – alongside the all-electric A6 E-Tron – rather than switching to A7 in a reversal of the odds-and-evens naming strategy for Audi's ICE and EV models.
Audi has axed its odds-and-evens naming strategy to distinguish between its internal combustion engine (ICE) and electric models two years after it was first announced.
At the start of 2023, Audi announced its future petrol and diesel-powered vehicles would move to an odd number while its electric vehicles will have an even number – however it has now backflipped on this decision in favour of keeping its familiar names.
The luxury brand confirmed overnight the successor to the current Audi A6 sedan and wagon will still be called A6 – not A7 as planned – to sit alongside the mechanically distinct A6 e-tron electric car revealed in late 2024.
It leaves the new-generation Audi A5 as the only model to fall under the short-lived naming convention, which saw the petrol and diesel-engined mid-size sedan and wagon previously known as the A4 move to A5 – while an all-electric A4 e-tron is under development.
The A5 badge was previously used for two-door coupe and convertible, and four-door Sportback, versions of the A4 – similar to the difference between the BMW 3 Series and BMW 4 Series – which will not continue for the new-generation model.
Likewise, the odd-number A7 badge is currently used for a Sportback four-door coupe version of the A6, but it was expected to become a sedan and wagon to replace today's internal-combustion A6 line-up – including the S6 and RS6.
Audi said the decision to reverse its naming strategy is due to "global standardisation", with each alphanumeric number representing "the size and positioning of each model globally in a unified and transparent way".
"The previous distinction between different drivetrain technologies according to even and odd model numbers no longer applies," Audi said in a media release.
Audi has confirmed the C9-generation 2026 Audi A6 sedan and wagon will debut on 4 March 2025, with the model to be "clearly distinguished" from the A6 e-tron with its "powertrain code", such as 'TFSI' (turbo petrol) and 'TDI' (turbo diesel) instead of e-tron (electric).
"This decision is the result of intensive discussions and also follows the wishes of our customers as well as feedback from our international dealers," Audi global sales and marketing boss Marco Schubert said.
"Our nomenclature now provides all customers worldwide with an intuitive orientation in our portfolio.
"We choose the names of our models in a way that reveals size and positioning at first glance."
Audi recently dropped its naming structure for standard model variants, which was announced in 2017 with a number denoting the vehicle's power output in kilowatts, such as '40 TDI' meaning a turbo-diesel engine with 125kW to 150kW and '50 TFSI' meaning a turbo-petrol engine with 210kW to 230kW.
Jordan is a motoring journalist based in Melbourne with a lifelong passion for cars. He has been surrounded by classic Fords and Holdens, brand-new cars, and everything in between from birth, with his parents’ owning an automotive workshop in regional Victoria. Jordan started writing about cars in 2021, and joined the Drive team in 2024.
